Toy railroad track



'P. H. EG'OLF TOY RAiLROAD TRACK Sept. 11, 1923.

Filed Nov. 15 1922 Patented Sept. ll, 1923.

n i r ears. are

PAUL H. neonr, or annnnrn, PENNSYLVANIA.

'I'OY RAILROAD TRACK.

Application filed November 15, 1922. SerialNo. 601,072.

To (NZ 10/1 o'mit may concern:

'Be it known that I, PAUL H. EeoLr, a citizen of the United States, residing in Narberth. Pennsylvania, have invented a Toy Railroad Track, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a novel track for toy or model railroads possessing numerous manufacturing advantages over tracks now in common use; and further to provide a track that will include in an integral structure not only the rails and ties, but also a portion representing the ballast bed, whereby the track will more nearly approximate in appearance the standard roadbed. The invention further contemplates a number of novel and improved details of construction hereinafter clearly set forth.

In the attached drawings:

Figure 1. is a View in perspective of a section of track made in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2, is an enlarged plan view of the section illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3, is a section on the line 3-3, Fig. 2;

Fig. 4, is a fragmentary perspective of a track illustrating a modification within the scope of my invention, and

Fig. 5, is a transverse section of a track similar to that shown in Fig. 4, illustrating a preferred method of attaching a third rail for use in electrically driven outfits.

With reference to the drawings, each of my track sections comprises essentially an integral body struck up from a single piece of metal and comprising an underlying portion 1 representing the ballast bed. spaced substantially rectangular elevations 2 at the top of the ballast bed representing the ties, and longitudinally spaced strips or elevations 3 above the ties 2 which represent the rails.

As stated, each section is die stamped from a single piece of sheet metal, and in the first operation, which may or may not be the final as hereinafter described, will assume the form illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, in which the rails 4t. 4t, are straight sided elevations, preferably with the tops rounded. It is preferred, however, both for appearance and for other reasons hereinafter described to employ a second operation. in which these rail elevations A are crimped in at the sides and at the base thereof'to give a rail form such as illustrated. in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, in which means of which the rail sections are detachably secured together, these pins 5 being inserted in the ends of the upper tubular portions of the rail and being secured therein by soldering, welding or by any other desired and suitable method.

. In forming the track as described above and as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, it will be understood that two distinct operations are required: First. the stamping out of the track with the rails in the form shown in Fig. 5: and second. the crimping operation that gives the rails the form illustrated in Fig. 1. Although the construction including the crimped rails is preferred by reason both of the more realistic appearance and the additional strength afiordedpit is possible to eliminate the aforesaid second operation and to leave the rails as shown in Fig. 5. In this instance, however, it becomes desirable to divide those portions representing the ballast at the extreme ends of each section and between the rails and to turn these portions 6 under. as shown in Figs. 4c and 5, thereby to form sockets for the reception of the pins 5. Although the track thus formed has the advantage of eliminating one machine operation over the track of the form shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. there is the disadvantage of the open space between the rail ends of adjoining sections formed by the turned-back portions 6, as shown in Fig. 4 these open spaces detracting to some extent from the general appearance of the track.

In Fig. 5, I have also illustrated a preferred method for attaching a third rail to the track for use when the track is employed for electrically driven motors. In this in stance, I insert in certain of the ties 2 at the intervals required for proper support of the rail, blocks 7 of an insulating material such as vulcanized fibre. These blocks 7 may beinserted through suitably formed slots in the ties in such manner as to be held in place against withdrawal by the down-turned edges 8, 8, of the openings in the ties through which they are inserted, as clearly shown in Fig. 5. The block also comprises a top cylindrical portion 9, and for the rail itself a tube may be employed and may be split at intervals for the reception of the cylindrical head 9 of the block 7, also shown in Fig. 5,

the natural resiliency of the metal of the rail 10 being suflicient to hold it in place upon the block.

By the aforedescribed method, which is applicable to curves, switches and crossovers, as Well as to straight sections, I am able to provide a track which faithfully represents the standard railroad roadbed and which at the same time possesses the manufacturing advantage of extreme simplicity.

I claim:

1. A track for toy railroads comprising an integral pressed-up structure representing ballast, ties projecting above said ballast, and rails carried by the ties, said rails having a sectional form corresponding substantially to the section of a standard rail but having a hollow head, substantially as described.

2. The method of forming a track for toy railroads, which consists in taking a sheet of metal, pressing the sheet to represent rails, ties, and an underlying bed of ballast, and crimping said rails near the base, sub

stantially as described.

PAUL H. EGOLF. 

